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Fit for the Fun of It
Great Ways to Encourage Children to Exercise
By Katherine Bontrager
For many children, weight, exercise and eating habits weren't a concern – until hormones kicked in and their metabolism rates shifted. Helping children cope with this sudden change can be challenging. Parents must carefully identify the issue and encourage children while subtly altering their lifestyles so they're more active and conscious of food choices. Confused about where to begin? You're not alone.
Dr. Denise Salerno is a pediatrician at Tempe University Children's Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa. She recently started Temple Children's Pediatric Weight Management Program, which helps children and their parents overcome weight issues by focusing on eating and exercise habits. Dr. Salerno says the initial hurdle may be in helping parents realize there is a problem.
"The first thing is to keep track of the child's weight through yearly checkups at the doctor's office," she says. "Make sure the weight is plotted on the appropriate growth chart and follow the progression over time. Also see that each child's body mass index (BMI) is calculated and plotted on the age- and gender-specific BMI charts. These measurements can give a good idea if a child is at risk for being overweight or already is overweight."
Other everyday indicators can be useful to gauge whether your child is putting on unhealthy weight. "When they're outgrowing their clothes much more rapidly than usual (especially clothes without elastic waistbands), or when they're unable to run about and keep up with kids in their age groups – these are additional possible indications," Dr. Salerno says.
Also consider any difficulties in finding clothes that fit, especially if the child is forced to shop in sizes that are typically reserved for children much older, says Marilyn K. Tanner, pediatric dietician at St. Louis Children's Hospital and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.